G
ilda “Gigi” Martinez, a seasoned North Fork realtor and businesswoman, died at 61 on Aug. 30 in a car crash while en route to Mexico, where she planned to retire, her colleagues confirmed. Managing broker AnnMarie Pallister of Signature Premier Properties in Hampton Bays said Martinez, two of her five pets and a traveling friend were killed in the accident. “She was taken from us just 20 minutes before she could buy her dream home in Mexico—a goal she had worked toward for years,” Pallister said. “We are devastated, but her light will live on in every memory, laugh, and heart she touched.”
Born in New York City and raised in Nassau County, Martinez moved to the North Fork nearly two decades ago. A self‑described workaholic, she began on Wall Street, tried acting, and worked for Electrolux before launching her own flooring and carpet business. She most recently partnered with Jesse Stein at Signature Premier Properties. Outside work, she loved cooking, beach‑going, and sun‑bathing, and was an avid animal lover who cared for four dogs and a cockatoo. Friends remember her as radiant, fearless, and an incredible companion who left a lasting impression on everyone she met. “She was driven, motivated, and the life of the party,” Pallister added. “She lit up every room she entered.”
Social media posts from Body and Sol Tanning in Aquebogue and from her cousin Lisa Sanchez Eisenberg highlighted her compassion, ambition, generosity, and humor. “She had been with us since 2006,” the tanning salon noted. “She always showed love and kindness to strangers.” Eisenberg recalled their 30‑year friendship, shared adventures, and her kind soul.
Services will be held Saturday, Sept. 20, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. at The Commack Abbey, 96 Commack Road, Commack. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Center in Huntington.
